Happiness
by Kadira
Summary: OrihimeRukia: Orihime really likes Rukia [fluff]


**Disclaimer:** The Characters are the property of Kubo Tite. No copyright infringement is intended, no money is being made.  
**Spoilers:** just for the arc with Orihime's brother  
**Summary:** Orihime _really_ likes Rukia  
**Notes:** written for a yuri prompt in my journal - Rukia's fake birthday and Orihime organizing a surprise party. Since I wanted to keep it shorter, this story is set at the end of the surprise party.**  
**

**Happiness**  
by Kadira (September 2007)

"Kuchiki, are you coming?" Ichigo calls, impatiently, from outside the door. "It's bad enough that you made us clean up, so don't let us waiting now. It's late already. My dad—"

"Oh?" Rukia asks, then turns her head just enough to get a glimpse of Ichigo. Her smile is sweet and dangerous, which is always a bad sign – especially for Ichigo. "So you wanted _us_ to do the cleaning, Kurosaki-kun? After Inoue-san organized the surprise party for me and after she and Tatsuki-san spent their free time preparing all the delicious dishes? Or me? On my birthday?"

Orihime can't help herself and chuckles when she sees Ichigo's gaze. As so very often when it comes to Rukia, he is obviously unable to find a fitting retort. Kuchiki-san knows exactly how to deal with him. It is one of the many things Orihime admires about her.

In the end, Ichigo just murmurs something unintelligible, which sounds a bit like: "Ha, birthday!" and turns his attention to Sado, who leans relaxed against the doorframe, obviously hoping for some kind of support from him. When it doesn't come, he just says: "Are you coming then? It _is_ late already."

Before Rukia can answer however, Orihime hurries to say: "Wait, Kuchiki-san, I have something for you."

"For me? But you already did the party. Why?" Rukia asks, but follows her further into the room anyway.

"Because it's your birthday. And because," Orihime stops for a moment, feeling herself flushing ever so slightly, "I like you. Here," she adds with a smile and fetches the small box from the shelf. "I made them just for you. Happy Birthday, Kuchiki-san."

"That is... Thank you, Inoue-san," Rukia says with one of those gazes that Orihime can't really interpret, but which she has seen far too often already. There seems to be longing and pain and regret, and sadness. It's a mix of emotions that makes Orhime's heart ache and fills her with sadness and the strong wish that she could just comfort the other girl.

"Try them," she insists instead and points at the bright green box in Rukia's hand.

With a nervous smile, she watches Rukia opening the package and taking out one of the small pralines, putting it into her mouth. It brightens when Rukia's face lights up and she begins to smile as well.

"Do you like them?" Orihime asks, carefully, hopeful.

"They are wonderful, Inoue-san," Rukia says, licking some chocolate off her fingers. Her smile is bright and real (not the sad one!) and suddenly Orihime finds that her feet are moving forward out of their own accord, towards Rukia. Before Orihime can stop herself, her lips are hovering over Rukia's and then she is _kissing_ the other girl.

If someone would have asked her later why she did it, Orihime couldn't have explained it, but in this very instant it just seems right, like the perfect moment, and it feels good, even better than she has imagined.

There is chocolate and honey and spices, and something that tastes just like Kuchiki-san, a flavor of adventure and sadness and being alive and just something very special, which Orihime can't categorize, even if she could form a coherent thought.

As it is, she can't and so she just bathes in the intimacy, in the feeling of how perfect it is and how she wishes that the moment would last forever.

Once they separate and Orihime realizes what she has done, she feels herself blushing. "I... I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san. I really shouldn't have—"

Before she can finish the sentence however, Rukia's arms are suddenly around her and Orihime leans into the contact, not only allowing but encouraging it. It is an instinctive reaction, but it feels just right, almost better than the one time before, the night she was supposed to forget but never could, when they had set her brother free.

Orihime's most vivid memory about that night isn't about her brother trying to kill her, and never has been (because it wasn't her brother, not really, and in the end he was strong enough to withstand the monster), but it is of her sorrow and of Rukia embracing her, trying to soothe it and how much it had helped, how _good_ it had felt.

For a moment they just stand there, looking at each other and this time they both lean forward at the same time. The kiss is careful, almost hesitant, as if they are trying to learn each other, and they first separate when Ichigo calls: "Hey, Kuchiki, are you finally coming? I don't have the whole night."

Rukia is the first to break the kiss. She pushes a strand of hair out of Orihime's face, carefully tugging it behind her ear. Then, with a sigh, she takes a step away, separating them and for just the barest moment, Orihime thinks she can see regret in Rukia's eyes.

It gives her hope, because if she knows one thing it is that she wants more. Whatever more there can be.

"Do you want to..." Orihime starts, then hesitates, suddenly not feeling certain of anything at all anymore, and she's sure that Rukia can be blamed for it, partly at least. Rukia looks at her and gives her another one of those smiles that make her knees weak.

"Doyoumaybewanttospendthenighthere?" Orihime finally presses out and she feels herself flushing and can't help but wonder just where the fairies are when you need them. Not that she really believes in them, but some assistance to get out of this embarrassing situation would be nice (and if there are monsters, there should be other things as well, like fairies, to compensate for the pain the monsters cause, shouldn't it?).

When Rukia doesn't react right away, she forgets all about that line of thought and hastily adds, "Tatsuki does it as well from time to time, so it's all right. There's enough space here and— I mean, Tatsuki is just a friend, but it's already late and I live closer to the school and I still have—"

She stops here, not knowing what to say next, her bravery gone. But then there is no need for words anymore, because Rukia is suddenly right in front of her again, so close that Orihime can feel her breath ghosting over her face.

The closeness is exhilarating, more so than anything Orihime has every experienced before and so very different from being near Ichigo, or Tatsuki, or anyone else. Orihime resists the urge to close her eyes and just tries her best to savor the moment.

"Rukia!"

Ichigo again.

"Just go already, Kurosaki. I'm old enough to find my own way home. I will see you in school tomorrow," Rukia says, then goes to the door and closes it, shutting out any further protest Ichigo could have.

When she turns around there is a grin on her lips, brightening her expression and lightening her eyes just beautifully.

"Does it mean—?"

"It means I want to stay, Orihime-san," Rukia says then and for a moment Orihime doesn't know if she has heard right, but before she can make sure about that, Rukia's lips are on hers again, hungrily and caressing at once. Between the kiss and the hand that plays with hair and then strokes over her back, pressing their bodies together so tightly that Orihime thinks she can hear Rukia's heartbeat as clearly as her own, it just feels perfect again. Too perfect as that she would want to destroy the moment with a question.

She allows for their fingers to intertwine and for her other hand to carefully caress Rukia's face when they break apart to regain their breath. "Thank you Kuchiki-san. I'm very happy about that," she says.

And maybe, Orihime thinks, she can replace the feeling of Rukia's arms around her that night with another, much happier one now, and maybe they can even erase the sad, faraway smile from Rukia's face, swap it with the happy one, which Orihime loves so much but doesn't get to see nearly often enough.

**-.-.-.-.-.-**


End file.
